No matter how much you claim you like to bang your head, or how
many posters of Iron Maiden you have in your room, there is one
undeniable fact in the world of heavy metal: Death metal is very
much an acquired taste. In the case of
Emperial Live Ceremony, the latest release from Norway's
Emperor, let's just say I haven't acquired it yet.

Oh, sure, some time ago I waxed somewhat eloquently about their
album
IX Equilibrium, and admired the way the band both worked in
keyboards and were able to get through an album of this genre
without resorting to the usual growls and grunts that one hears. I
also remember saying that the album was so intense that sometimes
it felt better to take it a few songs at a time. Sometimes, I think
the same approach would help with
Emperial Live Ceremony.

It's not that the band - vocalist/guitarist Ihsahn, guitarist
Samoth, keyboardist/vocalist Charmond Grimloch, bassist Tyr and
drummer Trym - don't prove they're adept at handling their
instruments in such a challenging style of music... and the live
concert is the ultimate proving ground for any band of this
caliber. But Emperor falls into the trap that has nailed so many
other bands from all walks of musical life - namely, they've
created a live album that doesn't come close to capturing the true
live experience.

They try mightily - and I'll admit the inclusion of a video for
"I Am The Black Wizards" at the start of the disc helps put things
into perspective. (Listener's note: Track 1 of the CD is data only
- DO NOT try listening to it. Skip to track 2.) But
Emperial Live Ceremony quickly becomes almost an altar for
the diehard Emperor fan to worship the band at, revelling in the
mixture of tracks old and new. For the uninitiated (and I include
myself in that flock), they may wonder just what all the fuss
is.

Sure, Emperor is made up of competent musicians. But trying to
pick out special moments in tracks like "Thus Spake The
Nightspirit," "With Strength I Burn," "An Elegy Of Icaros" or "Inno
A Satana," especially when this is one's first or second taste of
the group, it's a tad overwhelming. Even for the long-time fan,
this might seem like pushing the needle of adrenalin a little too
far into the listener's heart. (Making a CD package that was
actually
readable might have helped things a little bit.)

Oh, diehard fans of Emperor will probably find little fault with
Emperial Live Ceremony - and to them, I can only say with
all sincerity, enjoy! Fans of death metal in general will probably
find things to like about this disc, but it might not be as
satisfying as it is for the diehards. Casual listeners... well, you
might want to start with something earlier from Emperor's catalog,
if merely to get the taste for this band. But no matter which group
you fall into,
Emperial Live Ceremony will probably not strike you as the
best live disc, even for the black metal genre.